These whipped shortbread cookies are rich and buttery and melt in your mouth with every bite. They only require five ingredients, can be easily doubled or tripled, and take less than 30 minutes to prepare.
These cookies have the classic buttery flavor you look for in shortbread cookies, and I have been making them for so many years because they are very simple to make. They are great for the upcoming holidays and can be decorated with candied cherries, sprinkles, or left plain. These cookies will literally crumble and melt in your mouth, and they are always a must-have on my holiday trays. They always seem to disappear so quickly that I will double and sometimes triple the batch, and they still seem to vanish.
Why I love these cookies
When it comes to holiday baking, a lot of the cookies are ooey, gooey, soft, and chewy, but these cookies are none of those things and are always on the Christmas baking list for my family.
- Lightly sweetened With so many sweet cookies around during the holidays, these aren’t too sweet and are flavored with almond or vanilla extract.
- Simple With only 5 ingredients, these cookies are very easy to make.
- Easily doubled or tripled We almost always double or triple this recipe, especially over the holidays, and once you make them, you will understand why.
- Decorations These cookies are simple enough to make with the kids, and they are so much fun for them to decorate.
Ingredients Needed
- Salted butter I used salted butter for this recipe to keep it simple, but if you are using unsalted butter, add 14 tsp of salt.
- Almond extract pure vanilla extract can be used as well. I like almond flavoring, and it will also keep cookies nice, while white vanilla will sometimes turn your cookies a little brown.
- All-purpose flour You also want to make sure the flour is spooned and leveled for correct measurement.
- Cornstarch This is what gives the cookie its crumbly texture, and you want to make sure you spoon and level this too.
How to make Whipped Shortbread cookies
Let me show you how easy it is to make these cookies in a few simple steps.
Step 1 Cookie dough
- Whip the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy; this is where the term “whipped shortbread” comes from.
- Add in the almond extract, the flour, and the corn starch. Add a little bit at a time until all of the dry ingredients are combined.
Chilling dough
- Cover and chill for 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the butter to harden up again. Allowing the butter to harden is critical for making tall, fluffy cookies that don’t melt into little puddles on your cookie sheet.
Baking
- Scoop out cookie dough and roll it into 1-inch balls; flatten using a fork; and add sprinkles or candied cherries.
- Bake and then allow to cool before storing. Be careful when moving the cookies from the cookie sheet to the cool area; they can be fragile little cookies.
Variations
These cookies are great on their own but even better when you add a few different variation choices.
- Keep it simple If you are short on time, you can roll them into balls and flatten them slightly with your hand. Cookies are simple and delicious with anything on them.
- Dip in chocolate cooled cookies can be dipped in white or dark chocolate and add some sprinkles to jazz it up a bit.
- Replace the vanilla or almond extract with lemon or orange zest in the batter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between whipped shortbread cookies and butter cookies?
They are very similar; butter cookies are much richer and more tender, whereas whipped shortbread cookies are airy and light in texture.
Why is there cornstarch in the shortbread cookies?
Cornstarch is one of the secret ingredients in whipped shortbread cookies, it keeps them from spreading out too much and it gives you the melt in your mouth texture that you want from a whipped shortbread cookie.
What is the difference between shortbread and shortcake?
Shortbread is a butter-based cookie, while shortcakes are crumbly cakes that are usually served with fruit and whipping cream.
Why are there no eggs in this cookie recipe?
Shortbread cookies do not have eggs as an ingredient because they would cause cookies too rise too much and the eggs also cause you to lose the airy texture.
The Best Whipped Shortbread
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter softened
- ¼ cup powdered sugar plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 tsp almond extract or vanilla extract
- 1-1/3 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch plus 2 tablespoons
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes for a stand mixer, 7 minutes for a hand mixer. You will notice the mixture getting very light in color.
- Beat in the almond extract until completely combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour and corn starch. Mix into butter mixture in three separate additions, mixing just until combined each time.
- Transfer dough to an airtight container or bowl covered with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Scoop chilled cookie dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheet about 1 to 2 inches apart.
- Dip a fork into powdered sugar, corn starch or flour and gently press the tines of the fork onto the top of each cookie dough ball.
- Top each cookie with desired sprinkles or candied fruit or leave plain.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Bottoms of cookies should be very lightly golden brown. Let cookies rest on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies are very fragile when warm so be careful when moving.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up 1 week
These look so delicious! Looking forward to making these cookies.
Shortbread cookies came out delicious! Everyone of my family loved these. Thanks for sharing!
Fluffy and delicious shortbread. What a wonderful recipe.
So light and perfectly fluffy! Love this recipe.